CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: SARWAT WATAN

When FRAY Studio worked with writing-directing duo LuSi (Lulu Helbæk and Simone Ferrari) on Sarwat Watan, they intended to make it Cirque du Soleil’s most immersive show yet.

From the start, the creative team tried to minimise production difficulties as much as possible, as they knew they would be unable to see the acts until they were on the floor with them. Even Composers Bob & Bill had to wait to write the music until they could see what the performances would look like on location.

As FRAY Studio’s Finn Ross explained, “Keeping up with something as high-intensity as a flying pole act or aerial suspension routine inside a more traditional pipeline is clunky and slow,” so the studio used Notch in addition to Unreal Engine and After Effects.

In Notch, they built highly responsive animations that could be altered quickly, generating everything from sand, which swelled and stirred on the floor throughout the show, to a field of lavender. With Notch's advanced particle systems, they added stunning touches of light.

The creative team used the VYV PHOTON as their media server, which gave them ample precision while displaying their creations on exacting surfaces like voile fabric, moving scenery, and water. Even without a complete tracking system available, they could create the appearance of interactivity with the flexibility Notch provided.